This is the third in a series of articles where we’ll be covering the Top Fish Out of Water Comedies by decade. Fish Out of Water is a term used to describe a situation where a person is put in an unfamiliar or unique situation – often to great comedic or dramatic effect. Fish Out of Water films will also usually highlight the absurdity of societal customs or mannerisms, often with a very satirical tone.
Though most Fish Out of Water films are comedies, there are some films within the subgenre that fall under the drama, sci-fi and fantasy genres. Fish Out of Water Comedy is also closely aligned and most often integrated with other subgenres including Action Adventure Films, Films About Spies & Espionage, Body Swap Films, Parodies, Satires, Films About Cops & the FBI, Films About Families, Contemporary & Urban Fantasy Films, Films About the Multiverse, Films About Time Travel, Sports Comedies and Western Comedies.
Fish Out of Water Comedy has been utilized in film since the early 1900’s but emerged as a growing comedy subgenre in the 1970’s, with an increase in popularity in the 1980’s and has been one of the most popular comedy subgenres since. Popular Fish Out of Water Comedies over the decades include The Jerk (1979), Stripes (1981), Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Lost in Translation (2003), Idiocracy (2006), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Coming 2 America (2021).
This third article will cover the Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen from the 1990’s and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great Fish Out of Water Comedies over the last 60 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 2000’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 2010’s
- Best Recent Fish Out of Water Comedies
- Best Fish Out of Water Comedies
The popularity of the subgenre continued into the 1990’s with many classic comedies from this decade utilizing Fish Out of Water Comedy. The major theme of the decade included comedies involving satire and critiques of urban, suburban and rural life. Additional themes of the subgenre would focus on parodies of classic TV series, Sports Comedies with Fish Out of Water elements and comedic culture clashes (which would grow into a more prominent subgenre theme during the following decades).
Rural vs. urban life had been explored in the subgenre in previous decades but during the 1990’s, this theme would become overwhelmingly popular and featured in an increasing number of films. Rural life was the major target of Fish Out of Water Comedy in films including City Slickers (1991), Doc Hollywood (1991), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Spotswood (1992), Son in Law (1993), Samurai Cowboy (1994), Kingpin (1996), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) and For Richer or Poorer (1997). Urban life was satirized and parodied in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), The Cowboy Way (1994) and The Out-of-Towners (1999). And even suburban life became the target of Fish Out of Water themes with My Blue Heaven (1990), Meet the Applegates (1990), Suburban Commando (1991) and The Brady Bunch Movie (1995).
Comedic film remakes of classic TV series had started in the 1980’s but accelerated into the 1990’s with many of these films modernizing the plot and characters of these series with Fish Out of Water elements. Examples of these type of subgenre comedies included The Addams Family (1991), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) and My Favorite Martian (1999).
Sports Comedies also started to tap into the subgenre by placing characters in new environments and sporting events for great comedic effect. Mr. Baseball (1992) involved a U.S. Major League Baseball player having to navigate his way through his new team in Japan. The historical debut of the Jamaican national bobsled team at the 1998 Winter Olympics was covered in Cool Runnings (1993). The Air Up There (1994) focused on a U.S. college basketball coach recruiting a player from Kenya. And the very Raunchy Comedy of Kingpin (1996) would offer multilayered Fish Out of Water themes from the Amish Ishmael’s (Randy Quaid) life in modern society to Ray Munson’s (Woody Harrelson) hilarious exposure to an Amish farm.
And finally, culture clashes involving a Fish Out of Water would become more prominent within the subgenre with a Mexican U.S. citizen in Australia in Shrimp on the Barbie (1990), a U.S. citizen who suddenly becomes the United Kingdom’s next king in King Ralph (1991) and a U.S. beautician who clashes with Eastern European culture in The Beautician and the Beast (1997).
Our complete list of Fish Out of Water Comedies features over 188+ films from 1970 – 2024. This collection features almost every film featuring a person placed in an unfamiliar environment. As we’re always updating our collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Fish Out of Water Comedies, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
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Classic Fish Out of Water Comedies from the 1990’s: Pretty Woman (1990), My Blue Heaven (1990), Kindergarten Cop (1990), The Hard Way (1991), City Slickers (1991), Doc Hollywood (1991), The Addams Family (1991), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Groundhog Day (1993), Billy Madison (1995), Jumanji (1995), Kingpin (1996), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and Pleasantville (1998).
Fish Out of Water Comedies from the 1990’s that didn’t make our list: Taking Care of Business (1990), Shrimp on the Barbie (1990), Three Men and a Little Lady (1990), King Ralph (1991), Suburban Commando (1991), Encino Man (1992), Captain Ron (1992), Last Action Hero (1993), Coneheads (1993), Cool Runnings (1993), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), The Air Up There (1994), Trancers 4: Jack of Swords (1994), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), The Cowboy Way (1994), In the Army Now (1994), Trancers 5: Sudden Deth (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), Jury Duty (1995), Bio-Dome (1996), Jack (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), The Beautician and the Beast (1997), For Richer or Poorer (1997), The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time (1998), Pecker (1998), My Favorite Martian (1999), Blast from the Past (1999), The Out-of-Towners (1999) and Held Up (1999).
Here is our list of the Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s:
#10
Renaissance Man
Plot: An advertising man is slowly sliding downhill. When he is fired from his job in Detroit, he signs up for unemployment. One day they find him a job: teaching thinking skills to Army recruits. He arrives on base to find that there is no structure set up for the class.
KBZ’s Take: Part The Breakfast Club (1985) and part Dead Poets Society (1989), Renaissance Man uses the foundations of Fish Out of Water Comedy meshed with the lessons of Shakespeare.
While the film does have its funny moments – mostly related to Bill’s (Danny DeVito) out of place civilian teacher in the Army – it’s much more of a drama about troubled, underachieving teenagers in the U.S. Army. There are some good moments in this film and features early performances by Mark Wahlberg and Lillo Brancato. If you enjoyed Dead Poets Society, it’s a film you should definitely check out.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Modelling themselves after an idyllic cookie-cutter suburban 1950s family, a colony of insects move from South America into the United States with the intent of getting access to the nation’s nuclear resources.
KBZ’s Take: Likely the most unique film on our list, Meet the Applegates is a satire by way of an ‘aliens among us’ theme. The film satirizes everything from suburban life to environmental issues as the Applegates (insects disguised as humans) plot to sabotage a nuclear power plant.
It’s a strange film and one that’s unique to the 1990’s, but it has some very funny moments and standout performances from Ed Begley Jr., Stockard Channing, Dabney Coleman and Glenn Shadix.
Where to Stream / Buy: YouTube
Plot: A Japanese executive gives up the corporate life and moves to America to pursue his dream of becoming a cowboy.
KBZ’s Take: A very obscure film of the subgenre, Samurai Cowboy explore Fish Out of Water elements of rural life through a newly, relocated Japanese businessman. Its broader theme involves urban vs. rural ideals as Yutaka (Hiromi Gô) clashes with local citizens and culture.
There are some very outdated racial themes that occur throughout the film, but it’s an interesting film that uses Fish Out of Water drama (more than comedy) to show how an outsider can rally together a team for his cause.
Where to Stream / Buy: YouTube
#7
Spotswood
Plot: Wallace is an efficiency expert, managing the high-profile downsizing of a major auto parts factory. But when he is hired to evaluate a small moccasin factory which seems from another era, Wallace has to reconsider the rapid modernization he advocates, as he is confronted by the human faces such plans hurt.
KBZ’s Take: Also known as The Efficiency Expert, this is another film on our list that is light on the comedy and much more drama focused. The Fish Out of Water elements are few in the film and mostly relegated to Errol Wallace’s (Anthony Hopkins) exposure to the Melbourne suburb of Spotswood and antiquated methods of the factory he’s evaluating.
The film is a bit predictable but is elevated by quite a few performances from ‘before they were famous’ Australian actors including Toni Collete, Russell Crowe and Ben Mendelsohn. It’s a film worth checking out, especially if you enjoy watching the quirks of different cultural environments through a Fish Out of Water lens.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#6
Son in Law
Plot: Country girl Rebecca (Carla Gugino) has spent most of her life on a farm in South Dakota, and, when she goes away to college in Los Angeles, Rebecca immediately feels out of place in the daunting urban setting. She is befriended by a savvy party animal named Crawl (Pauly Shore), who convinces the ambivalent Rebecca to stay in the city. When Thanksgiving break rolls around, Rebecca, no longer an innocent farm girl, invites Crawl back to South Dakota, where he pretends to be her fiancé.
KBZ’s Take: Ah Pauley Shore. A national treasure to many while a national embarrassment to others. Shore was a cultural phenomenon in the 1990’s by way of MTV and was a fixture in Fish Out of Water comedy throughout the decade with his surfer / stoner persona. Encino Man (1992), In the Army Now (1994), Jury Duty (1995) and Bio-Dome (1996) were just a few other subgenre films of the decade where Shore played the same gnarly yet likeable outcast.
Of all his films, Son in Law is the best and a surprisingly good film about finding yourself and appreciating the values of others. Though some people would rather hear nails on a chalkboard vs. subjecting themselves to Shore’s ‘comedy’, we would implore everybody to give the film a chance as they might be as pleasantly surprised by it as we were.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#5
Mr. Baseball
Plot: Former New York Yankees baseball player on the decline, has one last chance to play for a Japanese baseball team.
KBZ’s Take: Mr. Baseball is a ‘by the numbers’ Fish Out of Water film that uses almost every popular subgenre film trope there is. Foreigner in a new land adjusting to unfamiliar customs, clash of personalities with old way vs. new way, and so on.
However, it’s still a great film that is unique in its setting (Japan) and focus on a familiar sport that’s played in a much different way (Japanese Baseball). It’s one of our favorite films of the decade and will likely be enjoyed by fans of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Fish Out of Water Films You Haven’t Seen #5
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#4
The Visitors
Plot: Godefroy de Papincourt, Count of Montmirail (Jean Reno), is a 12th-century Gallic knight who finds himself transported to 1993, along with his dim servant, Jacquouille la Fripouille (Christian Clavier), when a wizard’s spell goes awry. Startled and perplexed by modern technology, Godefroy and Jacquouille run amok, destroying cars and causing chaos until they meet Beatrice de Montmirail (Valérie Lemercier), an aristocratic descendant of the nobleman, who may be able to help them get back to 1123.
KBZ’s Take: This French Fish Out of Water Time Travel Comedy not only had a sequel with The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time (1998) but also a U.S. remake with Just Visiting (2001). While the U.S. remake is entertaining (and John Hughes helped with the remake as a writer), the original film is by far the best of all three films. Jean Reno as Godefroy is very funny in this film as the somewhat clueless Count, and his servant Jacquouille provides much of the slapstick comedy.
Even if you don’t typically watch World Cinema Comedy films because you don’t think you’ll ‘get’ the humor, with this film you will. It’s very funny and shouldn’t be missed by fans of the Time Travel or Fish Out of Water film subgenres.
Additional Lists: Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s #6
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#3
The Hard Way
Plot: Seeking to raise his credibility as an actor and to land a role as a tough cop on a new show, Hollywood action star Nick Lang works a deal with New York City Police Capt. Brix, who by chance is one of his fans. Nick will be paired with detective Lt. John Moss and learn how to act like a real cop. But when Nick drives John crazy with questions and imitating him, he gets in the way of John’s pursuit of a serial killer.
KBZ’s Take: Another lost gem of the 1990’s, this was one of the first films that established the ‘Hollywood actor in police environment’ trope of the subgenre. And it’s still the best one there is.
Directed by John Badham, there’s quite a bit of action and suspense in this film as the cops try to catch a serial killer (Stephen Lang). However, it’s a comedy at its core and it’s hilarious. No film of this type does a better job of pitting the unfamiliar (Michael J. Fox) with the familiar (James Woods) for numerous laugh-out-loud moments.
Additional Lists: Top Fish Out of Water Films You Haven’t Seen #3, Top Buddy Comedies You Haven’t Seen – Part 1 #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: FBI agent Barney Coopersmith is assigned to protect former Mafia figure turned informant Vincent Antonelli. In the witness protection program, one is supposed to keep a low profile, but that is something that Antonelli has trouble doing. Coopersmith certainly has his hands full keeping Antonelli away from the Mafia hitmen who want to stop him testifying, not to mention the nightclubs…
KBZ’s Take: My Blue Heaven was popular in the 1990’s but, over time, has become one of the lost films of the decade. While Gangster and Mob Films were all the rage in the early 1990’s, this was one of the only comedies to parody the Mafia lifestyle.
From a Fish Out of Water Comedy perspective, it also pokes fun at suburban life as Vinnie (Steve Martin) struggles to adapt to the slower life of the ‘burbs. It’s a film filled with some hilarious subgenre comedy and is one of Martin’s most underrated performances.
Additional Lists: Top Fish Out of Water Films You Haven’t Seen #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Washington D.C plastic surgeon leaves for new job in California but after an accident, he’s sentenced to be the new doctor for a rural community.
KBZ’s Take: Doc Hollywood uses one of the most popular Fish Out of Water film tropes – society’s elite in a rural community – and uses it to great effect. It’s a simple film about rural life and finding the love and ‘purpose’ you were destined for.
Michael J. Fox was at the peak of his career during this film and it’s one of his best and most overlooked efforts. Though Back to the Future (1985) will always be his signature film of the subgenre, Doc Hollywood is a close second with some unique and amusing Fish Out of Water Comedy elevated by the chemistry and romance between Ben (Fox) and Lou (Julie Warner).
Doc Hollywood hits all the right notes about life steering you in the right direction for one of the best feel good films of the decade and the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Fish Out of Water Films You Haven’t Seen #9
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
